Why I Love Photography
Everyone has their thing. The thing that calms them down and relaxes them. Their anti-stress. For me, that's my camera.
The first time that I realized that looking at things in a different way was helpful for me was about a year after my spinal cord injury. I spent a lot of time first in the hospital, then at home, and didn't have much to actually DO. I started college, but I needed a hobby. I had loved photography in high school and decided to buy a DSLR and get myself out of the routine of just doing homework.
I wasn't even sure I could HOLD a DSLR with my weak hands, but guess what, I did. And it made my hands and wrists stronger. It became a kind of therapy for me. I photographed things mostly, flowers, trees, that kind of thing, and eventually ventured into photographing my nieces and nephews.
Now I am a full-flown portrait photographer with an even heavier camera, but for me, it still feels the same as it did then. It calms me. It excites me when my clients LOVE their photos. It makes me proud when they want to display photos I have taken in their home.
It helps me focus on what I am capable of, instead of some of the things I'm not.
It's my things, I guess.
The Galyean Family | Family Time | Overbrook, Kansas Photographer
Barbara and Corey are good people. You can just tell when you meet them. They're both on the volunteer fire department with my husband, and they're involved in all the fun stuff that goes along with that too.
And their girls are good girls. Respectful, hilarious, and totally easy to photograph.
Barbara and I have been trying to set up a good time for their family portraits, and finally we snagged her husband for an afternoon and made it happen. This family is so fun and laid-back that the session went pretty perfect (Except for a football game going on at one of our locations--but we will hit it next time). It was chilly, but nothing that a blanket and a little leaf-throwing couldn't cure.
I am thankful...
Every so often we come across a client that is so like us that we become friends. This year, I can say I have had several clients that fit into this category, ones that I hope to work with in the future and am confident will hire me again.
I am thankful for these people who trust me with their family portraits and are pushing me toward a full-time job doing what I love. With their love and support, I will be able to do all the things I want to do as a mom and a business owner. For me, that's a big deal. I couldn't do it without them.
I am thankful that I still find photography enjoyable and make it a priority, even when I am feeling burned out with everything else.
I am thankful for the moments I can capture, not just in my own life, but in other people's too.
I am thankful that my confidence is building and that it has brought new opportunities this year--like not feeling overwhelmed at the thought of capturing someone's wedding day. It's a big job--and I have done it twice now.
I am just thankful in a giving season. I am excited and nervous for business goals next year, but I am thankful to be in the position to make them.
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
How To Dress For Your Family Session
I always have clients asking me what they should wear, what looks good on camera, and if matchy matchy is cliche. I try to guide them, and most of the time it turns out fine. There has been a few times that after the session and the client has sat down to look at their photos, they aren't happy with what they wore or what their spouse wore. They might not like that color of shirt on this kid, and that graphic tee that is so cute, well, it just didn't look as fancy as they had hoped.
It happens. Sometimes things don't turn out like we thought they would.
Here is a little guide to help plan things prior to your shoot so that last minute decisions don't turn into regrets later!
Producitivity In My Business.
Being a business owner is tough work. And being a business owner who also holds a full-time job, plus raising a family feels near impossible sometimes. When I decided a few years ago that this business deserved my attention and real grit to make it work, I had to streamline some things, get seriously organized, and make my workspace/office as efficient as it could be. I had to prioritize and gave up some personal craft projects that weren't fulfilling anymore, which left some serious space for marketing materials and shipping boxes. That felt very freeing.
It felt very "adult" to say no to things that were what I wanted anymore and yes to the things I did.
Some things are still a work in progress (my office that I share with my 2-year-old as her play room), and the time feels thin between my full-time job and being a mom. But it's all coming together.
Tools I use:
My iPhone "Reminders" App
I use this for lists. Ideas. Props. Sessions. Marketing. If I am away from my planner (like during my full-time job), this is where it all goes. It helps me keep it all in one place, and I can transfer lists to my planner later if need be.
Colorvale Planner
I have a friend who is a photographer in Iowa, and she recently posted her new planner. This planner. I was skeptical at first, just because my bullet journal seemed to be working fine for me, but she seemed really impressed and focused with help of this new pretty planner. I have been using it for about 3 weeks now, and I have to say, it is a game changer for me. It really has helped to have one planner devoted to my business, rather than my bullet journal, which was a mix of home, personal, day job, and business. It was good and bad for me.
Methods
A steady and simple workflow
I try not to complicate things too much in anything. It doesn't help me get work done, and it certainly doesn't keep me on task. I keep a workflow that stays simple and methodical, and I can usually cull, edit, blog and get a session ready for reveal in less than a week. That's with a full-time job too. I can only imagine how fast things will fall into place when this becomes my full-time job.